Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-11-12
CLOSING SCENES.
Last Few Hours of the
Condemned Anarchists.
RELIGIOUS AID REFUSED.
Snatches Of Sleep-Fischer Sings
the "Marseillaise"-Of to
the GallOws.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD
CHICAGO, Cook county jail) Novem-
ber 11.-During the long hours of the
night only newspaper men were ad
mitted to the inner precincts of the
Jail, including favored representatives
of the Associated Press. They had
quarters in what is known as the law
yers' cage, and were within ten feet of
the Anarchists. At o'clock one of
them made tour of the lower corri-
dor, where Spies, Parsons, Fischer
and Engel were confined. In each
cell were
TWO sTALwART GUARDS,
Who stood watch over the Anarchists.
The former chatted in low tones and
whispered jokes among themselves to
while away the time, but the talk and
whispered jokes were all lost on the
prisoners. Each one was in the heav-
lest of slumbers. Spies lay on one
side, his head on his arm, and slept
as
PEACEFULLY AS A BABE.
At intervals the silence was broken
by the stealthy walk of the armed
guard who made the rounds of the
lower corridor to see that all was we'll.
The only other disturbing element
was the mewing of the Jail cat, which
she kept up SO persistently that at last
deputy captured her and removed
her to the basement. Sometime after
midnight, Parsons complained that
THE HUM OF CONVERSATION
In the jail Office annoyed him and
prevented him from sleeping. The
wooden door which hangs on the
Office side OF the heavy bars of the
inner door was closed, and the Texas
Anarchist dropped into an uneasy
slumber. In the Office busy crowd
Of reporters were writing at high
desks, or lounging about talking with
the deputies. Occasionally a heavy
step sounded
ON THE IRON STAIRS
Outside, and the strong door was
opened, revealing candidate for ad-
mission to all the horrors provided for
possessors of passes. From within
the lawyers cage came the sharp. me.
tallic click of the Associated Press
telegraph instrument, dispatching the
incidents of the night. Along the
otherwise silent corridors sounded the
slow, regul,,r tramp OF the deputies
composing
THE DEATH WATCH,
Who walked to and fro in front of the
cell doors behind which were four
forfeited lives. The main entrance of
the Jail, through which all who
enter must pass, was guarded by a
heavy double iron door. Immediately
within the door stood two trusty po-
licemen, armed with
BREEcH-LoADING RIFLES
And carrying thirty-eight rounds each
in a convenient cart idge box. The
Jail proper is reached by crossing a
narrow court, dismal and cold in dark
ness. In this part, of the building
special preparations had been made
for the reception of unwelcome callers.
About o'clock, while there was COM
parative silence, the occupants of the
Sheriff's office were startled by crash
and bang from the northern corridor.
1t was nothing but the Sheriff and a
few other officials experimenting
- WITH THE sCAFFoLD,
And testing it and the ropes. A few
minutes after 2 o'clock Spies stood at
the door of his cell smoking and talk
ing through the bars with his guards.
Between and the rumble of wheels
outside penetrated the thick walls and
q wagon drove up and unloaded four
coffins. At $3.50
ALL WERE ASLEEP.
Fielden and Schwab were in their
cells in the second tier. having re-
tired before midnight. The first flush
of relief by the Imprisonment for lie
was a very small matter and they
could sleep in safety. Not many min
utes from 6 O'Clock, daylight, cold and
pitiless as the law about to be avenged,
and hustle different from that of the
night invaded the seclusion of the
prison. The day of the hanging had
arrived. Six O'Clock came, and the
rumbling of wagons, blowing OF whis-
ties and ringing of bells told that the
people outside were astir. But the
Anarchists slept on. 1t was fifteen
minutes past 7
WHEN ENGEL AwoKE.
Within the next ten minutes Spies
and his three doomed companions
opened their eyes. They tumbled
out of their cots hastily and dressed
themselves. No conversation took
place between the Anarchists and
their guards. Spies and Parsons
simply
BADE THEM GOODBYE
And in few minutes the deputies
emerged from the cell and were re-
lieved by others. Fischer was the
first one to emerge from his cell, ac-
companied by two deputies. He
stepped over to a plain iron sink and
took a good wash. His every motion
was
CLOSELY WATCHED.
Spies next performed his ablutions,
and seemed to enjoy them. He
fingered long at the sink, and care.
fully cleaned his teeth and gargled
his throat. Old man Engel followed
the young Anarchist, and the last one
was Parsons. At 7:20 two walters
from a restaurant brought to the
prisoners breakfast.
MRS. VAN ZANDT,
with her dauShter Nina, drove to the
Jail about $3.50 this morning, and
asked for permission to enter, but
they were refused admission by the
guards. Nina, breaking into tears
fell upon her. mothers shoulder. In
this attitude they were driven home
ward. Nina fairly flung herself into
the house, and could be heard
without
soBBING AND MOANING
Amid her daughters lamentation!